


Fireworks

by Omniblacklight



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, John's Innocent Eyes, M/M, Masturbation, Sloppy Everything, Sloppy Makeouts, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Xeno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-28
Updated: 2012-09-03
Packaged: 2017-11-02 15:49:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/370697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omniblacklight/pseuds/Omniblacklight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Beta kids played through the game, Jack was nowhere near the threat he became - Bro never died, Gamzee never flipped out to the point of slaughter and the anger with Dave over the music eventually was overcome, Eridan and Vriska are still a pompous asses but that's why we love them. The victory returned each player to their state before ever playing yet with the knowledge of what had happened. Like the whole game was just a test- they didn't gain anything from it other than their normal lives back. They continued their shenanigans through pesterchum and time passes, they start to develop relationships offline as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preparation

**Author's Note:**

> Explicit for cursing and what will be rather graphic..pail..-cough- sexual scenes. I was going for a more "Homestuck feel" to this and rolled with it. Just ignore how silly it is to read. First chapter won't have anything remotely naughty, but every chapter after -should-!

 

 

==> Be Someone Cool  
You can't be Someone Cool. But you _are_ cool. Living embodiment. You are Dave Strider.  
  
Several years ago you and many other players engaged in a game that could have claimed every single one of your lives. Casualties at zero and game at over there wasn't much to do but return home and continue reality.

  
  
== > Cool..But, fast forward  
You graduate school.

  
  
==> FURTHER THAN THAT  
You finish community college.

  
  
==> You went to college?  
Yes you did.

  
  
==> Get sweet DJ gig and jump around giggling like John Egbert  
You got that sweet DJ gig and you totally didn't jump up like a certain windy fellow and giggle with excitement when you heard the voice mail. It never happened like that because you were alone in your room and no proof of such things ever existed. That would be not cool. You're cool.

  
  
==> Whatever cool guy, skip to July  
It is now July 1st and you hold two large cardboard boxes in your arms. In each box only the most colorful, noisy, bright, and most importantly of all explosive thing a guy can legally buy and intend to have completely ironic fun with; fireworks. A ton of them.  
  
Obviously, not just because you are a Strider but because you are Dave-Fucking-Awesome-Firework-Fetching-Strider, you are and will always be the right choice when there is an item of the flash-bang kind to be fetched. You paid for around two hundred bucks worth of pure bliss. You suddenly love your job even more because you _can_ pay for two hundred bucks worth of pure bliss.  
  
You can't fire them off in the city, but that's not a problem. The place has already been set.

  
  
== > Dave: Explain yourself  
What? Oh. Whatever, it went like this.  
  
For Christmas you spent your four day weekend with a Rose Lalonde that you not once ever did flirt with ironically or not in the past or any other time before it was discovered you were siblings, an energetic Nic Cage Fanboy John Egbert and his discovered sibling a cheerful and Egbert-like in her own way Jade Harley.  
  
Long story short the four of you grew up, went to college, but never lost touch. Rose had traveled for a spell (ha magic humor, you'll have to try and bring that zinger up later) but eventually settled down in the same town as you probably to play her head games. She has yet to mess with you though, or maybe she has and you just aren't sure.  
  
The four of you liked to meet up at Jade's island, it was strangely peaceful. Egbert's house is a complete prank fest, opening a door to a closet leads to inflated snakes jumping out or some Nic Cage poster staring you in the face. Rose's apartment is crammed with books and scented candles and incense and there's little room for all of you to be housed comfortably there. Your sweet pad is so sweet, they loved it. You know they did. Shitty swords falling out of cabinets (you haven't even bought one since you moved out of Bro's place, no idea how they got there) and insane beats rippling the walls.  
  
Rose lives within thirty minutes away, the two of you chat. Real sibling like, not how Bro is. Not that you want to change Bro, his level of coolness could not be tampered with, even if he has a fetish for creepy puppets and horses.

 

  
==> Remember the puppets and horses, shudder in fear  
The boxes almost fall out of your hand, not from a shudder of fear, but from a strange chill down your spine you'll pin that down to sweat drying on your back. It is a hot day after all.  
  
You load the boxes onto the basket of your bicycle and tie it down.

  
  
==> A bicycle?  
Yes. A bicycle is a  perfectly fine way to get around. It is not lame at all. Besides you only live in the apartment a couple blocks away and the pedaling is great for your ass if you say so yourself. Yes. Yes you do. Plus the bike is cool, so shut up.  
  
Besides if you need a ride further Rose has a van. One of those hippy shag carpeted inside vans redone to suit her style and color preferences, she says it compliments them or something. It's creepy. Whatever. She'll pick you up if you need it, gives her an excuse to read you like an open book and rewrite the pages.  
  
Anyhow, you were on a specific train of thought,  jump back onto that.

  
  
==> Jump on the train!  
There is no train, just you, last year, at the Jade's for the Christmas party. Duh.  
  
During this Christmas party  Jade had been acting different than usual the whole  time, Rose picked it out at once. That was her thing  like yours was being so fucking cool you need that  knitted sweater full of more Christmas spirit than the eggnog and don't care who sees you wearing it. Practical use this time, ironic the rest.  
  
It wasn't long until she confessed what was on her  mind.

  
  
==> Be Past Jade  
You are Jade, hosting a wonderful Christmas party. Everyone has been noticing your unusual behavior though you've really tried not to let anyone worry at all!

  
  
==> Confess your thoughts.  
No way, not with everyone staring like that.

  
  
==> YOU CONFESS THAT THOUGHT THIS INSTANT!  
Nooo go away!

  
  
==> DO IT DO IT DO IT  
UGH! Fine!  
  
The trolls. You bring up that while each of them kept contact with some of them you also stated they had never been to a gathering with the four of you. You think that sounds like a lot of fun! You are very excited, explaining how you plan to transport the trolls here, and have a nice week long visit. In this house! Yes it will be great! Everyone can come to the island and regroup.

  
  
==> Past Dave: Absorb excited girl's words into brain  
Trolls. Visit. Shared Housing. That was all you needed to hear, you try to abscond.  
  
Too late.  
  
She brings out the big guns on the lot of you. Jade's glossy eyes become huge, the glasses and pitifully sad buck toothed mouth not helping. Egbert probably likes the idea because he smiles and rambles off a list of movies he could introduce the trolls to. Which would mean torturing you with, but you don't say it. You're thinking about being crammed in a house with twelve trolls.  
  
 _Twelve Trolls  
  
For a week  
  
Fuck  
_  
"I already asked them, _each one_!" She lets out a slightly irritated sigh when she senses (rather than sees) your apprehension about the subject (because she can't see it, you have your poker face going). Your fingers may have twitched a little though.

  
  
== > Be Past John  
You are John. Jade had a wonderful idea that sounds really fun and you should know because you're all about fun like Dave's all about cool. But Dave doesn't like the idea. You can tell, bros can tell things like that about each other, especially when they've saved the universe together.

  
  
==> Convince Past Dave  
"Oh c'mon Dave, it could be fun!" You shoot the biggest, goofiest, most hopeful grin you can manage.

  
  
==> Past Dave: React  
Shit  
  
Egbert's over the top pleading grin paired with Jade's pouty smile and big glossy eyes.. K.O. No spare lives, no continue, you're screwed.  
  
You nod. Sure, whatever. It doesn't effect you anyway. You don't care at all. Aloof. Uncaring. That's you. "Any day of the year but Halloween. Not watching that beautifully wrapped package of all sorts of shenanigans and shit unravel."  
  
Eventually it's decided. Mid-way into July, gather fireworks throughout, then fire them off at Jade's house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees and stars and out of sight from everyone. No risk of the trolls causing a scene.

  
  
==> Past John: Suggest idea  
"Oh oh oh We should have a camp out in the woods Jade! Dave Dave a camp out! C'mon Rose!"

  
  
==> Past Rose: Agree  
You are Rose, and you completely agree. You have missed the others and while Jade's house is expansive enough to comfortably house all twelve trolls plus four humans, having a 'camp out' sounds pleasant and Jade's dwelling will remain much more tidy if it is used rarely.  
  
"I see no harm in it."

  
  
==> Isn't Rose helpful Dave?  
Rose is so helpful. You see right through her act.  
  
"You're calling dibs on that Kanaya chick aren't  you?"  
  
"That was unusually quick of you." She flashes a corner smile at you.  
  
Rose started praddling off about quadrants and how pale mates and since there are so many trolls they should be grouped up to keep a better eye on them then she started ever so gracefully remind everyone of certain hate/love actions and whatnot for the better sake of everyone's sanity and hopefully to avoid giving the wrong impression and you listened to most of this but you had stopped her before she got into the grand finale when she reached for her bag to retrieve her sharpies and a spiral bound lilac notebook with notes and scribbles all over the front, surely there'd be graphs and pie charts and shit in there. That shit wasn't happening.

  
  
==> Stop that shit from happening  
That shit is stopped, so stopped, in fact, you have caused a time paradox. But it's okay, Knight of Time here, fixing all those time paradox woes.  
  
How are four young adults..You glance at Egbert. How are _three_ young adults and Egbert supposed to make sure twelve trolls on an island in the middle of goddammed nowhere going to keep some intense conspiracy bullsh- wait.  
  
Oh right, you're on Jade's island. The only place the four of you would even suggest bringing the others. Because it's secluded, has room, and isn't your place.  
  
Crisis averted.  
  
"Can you pick up some fireworks?" Jade asks, knowing just how to push your buttons. Oh hell yes you can, you did, and you have.

  
  
== >That was a long short story.  
...  
  
Well then, maybe explaining every single day from here until the big day will stop any complaints. Rushing things that need time to stew. Meat don't get tender without some long stewing. In fact, you feel a need  to give a long lecture.

  
  
==> Be Rose  
You could be Rose but that wouldn't help you get anywhere any faster.

  
  
==> Be John?  
Nope, better just beg forgiveness.

  
  
==> Dave I'm sorry, skip ahead please!  
Okay, fine. That lecture would have tired you out anyhow.  
  
Two weeks later you're sitting in the airport waiting for your flight to the closest destination you can manage aiming towards Jade's island. You sent the fireworks early through the mail. Like you need some bear-pawed security guard checking your perfect crevases after discovering 'dangerous explosives' in your luggage.  
  
Rose is knitting beside you, the sounds of the airport drowning from her lack of attention towards anything other than the soft clicking of her knitting needles.

  
  
==> Where's John?  
You're John!  
  
You are hyper, you are excited, you are windy. You could've made it there yourself but you love airplanes! (Plus airlines play the best movies! Ohohoh and the little bags of crackers or peanuts! Hehehe!) You couldn't wait, so you woke up at the crack of dawn and took the first flight out.  
  
You didn't expect to see Rose or Dave at your airport, that would be silly. You live too far away to share the airport with them!

  
  
==> Fly pu-People! Fly!  
You are Dave, you are in an airplane, you are flying.

  
  
==> Land  
You land in a crowded airport; tourist location.  
  
Oh hey, there's Jade and John.

 

 

==> Jade: Get excited and gather friends!  
You are Jade, you have been waiting for this for a lo------ong time! Many months before December even! You have been working hard making sure your friends would be comfortable here. Rose mentioned they needed sopor slime to sleep in and in no time you ended up with a bunch of oddly shaped pods filled with the green goo that resembles the tub of gag slime Jake sent one year for your birthday in a box of goodies.  
  
You were going to materialize a bunch of recuperacoons for the sake of your troll friends. Apparently it wasn't a requirement for adult trolls to be comfortable enough in sleep, as Kanaya explained. But you made sure that everyone would have a bed of some sort to themselves.  
  
You run up to your friends and begin explaining your wonderful additions, thank Dave for sending the absolute best fireworks and admit you have been dying to set a couple off but have held out with iron will power, and the four of you begin for the exit.  
  
Enthusiastically, you hail a cab and instruct it to take the four of you to the coast. After being dropped off and when the coast is clear (John makes the joke and rolls about laughing, it is pretty funny!) the four of you hold hands and are enveloped in green blinding light.

  
  
==> Dave: Be blinded  
One thing you never get used to is that blinding light. It's how Jade travels to and from her island.  
  
"Woah."  
  
Woah indeed. Jade had completely re-hauled the place! She must have had plans for this week. The boxes of fireworks rest next to several packaged tents and rolled sleeping bags took up an entire corner of her living room. Several extra furniture pieces too, Jade had always been too good a hostess.  
  
"The others will be here in time. I have to make sure the appearifier is working alright! Make yourselves at home!" She scampered down the hall and downstairs.

  
  
==> Jade: Greet Troll Friends  
One by one they began to appear.  
  
My goodness! They sure did grow! Well...Most of them. Karkat's taller but he really hasn't bulked out any, especially not in his horns unlike the other's. You wonder if they can trim them down if they get uncomfortable. Tavros looks like he has uncomfortable horns to carry around. Then again that wouldn't make sense because Equius still has a broken horn! If they trim then they should grow back too! Well, that solves that thought.  
  
"Hello everyone!" You bounce around, showing your enthusiasm and Terezi joins you without a thought, her pitched laugh a pleasant memory you were glad to hear again. She squeezes you in a hug and you let out a short breath. They are stronger than you remember too!

  
  
==> Karkat: Be Angry  
No. You had a long discussion with yourself how you were not going to make an issue of anything. Jade has been nice enough to take you into her hive, strange human friendship ritual or something, and promises to make this an experience to learn from.  
  
You have gotten your claws on books of all kinds, drug up any information you could about everything on your husktop, she knew exactly how to phrase something to make you agree to come. _We'll show you fireworks! They are cool, they explode in the air with colors and whistles, it's really neat!_ You were curious, to say the least.


	2. Karkat Blows his Cool, John Blows his...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat is becoming more frustrated as things manage to take all the wrong turns. John discovers he's a bit of a pervert but that's okay with him. Gamzee and Tavros ruin a piece of furniture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay added Masturbation tag, it wasn't supposed to happen but it kinda happened. Sloppy pailings yay Also this chapter was unintentionally longer than I wanted, but I couldn't find anything to cut out without making it weird.

 

 

==> Karkat: Grump

 

Well, you  did hand it to yourself. You kept your cool for like...Two hours. Two fucking human hours. Two miserable nook-fucking grrrrr  
  
You're growling. You didn't notice it until Jade asked you if something was wrong.  
  
"Nothing's wrong!" You snap before realizing that made it seem all the more like something was wrong. Shit. You said you were going to stop talking to your future self. He just _had_ to push. _It's worth it_ bullshit! You haven't seen anything worth it yet, focusing almost exclusively on Gamzee's much larger form, the way his eyes lid halfway when he smiles, and his touch, which has been all over fucking Tavros.  
  
That should be okay. You're not Gamzee's matesprit, you're his fucking moirail.  
  
You are silently thankful that the only one in the room you stormed into (kitchen it was called, humans have the weirdest names for things) was Jade. You couldn't take walking along the island with the others, not when Gamzee's hand kept drifting lazily behind him and Tavro's made that high pitched squeak in his throat as his rump was given a good squeeze. You had turned around and took off so quickly and since you were at the back you hoped nobody noticed you taking off.  
  
Sighing, you sit on the ..What was it called..Stool..Bar-stool. Right. You lean your head on the island counter and close your eyes, letting your breathing calm. You weren't a handful of sweeps old anymore, you had learned to control your emotions better.  
  
"Sorry." You mutter to Jade, feeling a little foolish for letting her catch you like this.

  
  
== > Jade: Be comforting!

  
Poor Karkat, he must not be adjusting here well. This isn't his normal grumpy self. When you're upset you like to run around the island, jumping branches and letting off steam, but you aren't sure what to help him with. Maybe something to eat.  
  
Before you finish that thought you're pulling two pieces of bread from the breadbox and spreading peanut butter and strawberry jam on each side. Putting one piece of bread ontop of the other you slice it in half and take a seat on the opposite side of the island counter, taking half the sandwich at sliding the plate to him for the other half.

  
  
==> Karkat: Suddenly, food

  
Oh yes, something to eat. Jade is so considerate. If you're too busy stuffing your face and listening to her talk you can't think of _them._  
  
You reach to grab the sandwich when you notice something strange about it. The sight must've brought your face to flush because Jade's suddenly asking what's wrong and you look up and dammit she has some on the corner of her mouth, suddenly you feel worse than when you came in, more in a pent up need release kind of way.  
  
You shove the plate back and mutter a quick excuse about not being hungry before scurrying down the hall and to the door to the right, leaning your back against the door of the hygienic chamber (or bathroom.. right, humans are so fucking strange). Splashing cold fluids on your face you stare at your reflection and growl at your bulge to behave itself and leave you some peace!

 

 

==> What's going on now Jade?

  
You can't be sure why Karkat left like that. Oh, you have some strawberry jam on your face. Is it weird to get food on your face in front of trolls? Oh no! You hoped you didn't just cross some socially unacceptable line.  
  
Walking to the bathroom you put your ear on the door, hearing water and splashing. Chewing your lip you finally knock, gently. "Karkat?"  
  
Several moments pass before you hear a gruff reply. "I didn't mean to upset you! Please, come out and talk with me."  
  
When he opens the door and looks embarrassed, confused, and a little angry you do your best to keep the smile on your face from becoming uneasy.  
  
"You really have no idea what that looks like do you?"" He grimaces when he says it.  
  
He didn't curse, probably because you were staring at him with a look on your face that says you actually are sorry and have no idea what you did. When his gray skin turns even darker, tinge of red to it, you burst into nervous laughter. "O-oh oh!" Now you can't stop laughing and Karkat's getting more an more embarrassed but you can't help it.  
  
He avoided everyone for the rest of the day.

  
  
\---

  
  
==> What a night..

  
Yes, what a miserable fucking night. You've had your thinkpan assaulted with way too much, from the idea of Tavros and Gamzee's sloppy pailings drifting to Nepeta as she frolics in one of Kanaya's special made with her in mind skimpy water playing outfits(she made you a set of water playing pants- black with your sign repeating over the hem, and because she thought it would 'suit you' there was a pinching beast in the corner of the right leg - crab or something, human thing).  
  
Jade has a patch of perfect beach here, as she was so happy to inform. Nepeta won't actually go into the water, she just likes stomping around the shore as the tide laps at her feet while chasing the different sea-creatures that come close enough to the shore, along with anything else she can find(a growing shell collection for one). She has been drawing your attention lately too.  
  
 _Who hasn't?_  
  
You're starting to feel like you're taking Eridan's old place, and that shit is not fucking happening! You'll hide in your hive for the rest of this feeling if you have to.  
  
But for now you can actually relax enough to be around the others. The gentle breeze feels nice and the sand soft underneath you. Laying back you yawn, watching the clouds roll by. You start to think of the way they smoothly cross  the light blue sky, how the wind sounds brushing past your hair, the waves, soft chatter and laughs coming from the others..

  
  
== > Dave: Fucking crabs

  
You gave up on trying to pull Rose away from the umbrella she has been seated under to prevent sunburn. You've prepared for that, SPF 50 extra sensitive stuff. She's being stubborn. But you weren't going to argue when there's babes in swimsuits and Eridan claiming that perhaps he couldn't swim. That's when you got pinched by something painfully, making your jaw twitch in pain.  
  
You lift your foot up and try to pry the little bastard off of your toe, gritting your teeth. You mutter at it that you should just rip the thing's claw right off and stomp it for that but Jade is looking at you hopefully like she actually worries you'd waste time killing a fucking crab and Nepeta chastises you for even threatening to kill something that 'is obviously defending itself from your big scary white foot'. After a while the thing lets go of its own will, landing with a soft _plunk_ in the water.  
  
Free from the attack you wiggle your toe and step back out of the water for a moment, you had to at least imply Rose had something to do with that before going back in.  You're wearing a speedo, something red and flashy and you swear if your bro were here the only way he could top your choice of ironic swimwear would be to ditch it altogether for the _skinny dipping and I don't give a fuck who watches_ route.  
  
Hey, speaking of crabs, Karkat has been laying there for hours. You stop walking towards Rose. Is he asleep? Yep, asleep. Asleep on the beach, during bonding time. Shame shame, you thought he was smarter than that.  
  
"Yo." You jerk your head in Karkat's direction after getting John's attention.  
  
John looks, then a small grin spreads over his face. Prank master has a target. Nobody falls asleep while they're supposed to be having fun. Not while John Egbert is around. He excuses himself from Vriska (you think they were playing some kind of pirate game because she smacks his behind and says _I'll get ya booty later yargh!_ which makes Egbert light up a shade of red similar to your speedo as he watches her run after Aradia in attempt to plunder her ship continuing their game). Whoa, Egbert playing pirates with two women. One crazy and the other...Strange..But both damn good looking and friendly. You decide to text Bro about it later.

  
  
== > John: Prank

  
Normally a bucket of water would suffice, but trolls are weird, they can't even look at a bucket  without acting like it's perverted. How do they haul large amounts of liquid that _isn't_ genetic material? _Bucket fulls._.. You shiver a moment before remembering the task at hand. You could do so many pranks.  
  
Depends on how asleep he is, you decide with a grin and set to work.

  
  
== > Karkat: Wake up

  
You begin to stir after you try to turn and find you can't. Quickly and with a biting curse you stare up at Egbert with fury in your eyes. You can't move, the ground has eaten you whole and it looks like you have eight tentacles sprouting from around you and John's grinning at you as he pats sand down to make sure you're sealed.  
  
"Dammit! What the fuck?!" You snarl and fight, but John's too busy laughing, it is a stupid human prank thing, you're sure of it, but you're not in the mood! You begin to spout out threats and profanities, and after a while you notice  that John's fun has completely dissipated and he looks terribly hurt for upsetting you.  
  
Which makes you feel like shit.  
  
"John.." You growl and roll your eyes, trying to keep him from giving you that look again. "Just..Unbury me."  
  
He complies, and you brush sand off (ugh it's in your new fancy water pants..) before half-heartedly flipping John off-which makes him half-heartedly smile at you. But you can't find it in you to explain yourself, so you chose to go back and lay down in Jade's hive. Maybe you should take the back entrance, you don't want to go into the main room.

  
  
==> Remember not to prank Karkat again

  
At least not until he's out of this foul mood. He seems worse than the day before, especially after this morning when he noticed the (whoa your throat is suddenly really dry!) ruined couch in Jade's living room. You should ask Dave to do something, he's good at doing things even if they are obnoxious sometimes, until whomever he is pestering breaks down and spills their guts of anything on their mind.

  
  
==> Dave: Listen to whining

  
You had watched the ending of an attempt at a prank from the water between losing a swimming contest between you and the two sea-dwelling trolls (really was it that much of a surprise to you?) Feferi had to pull you back closer to the coast when a current threatened to take you off. You didn't ask for her help, but maybe she seen it in the way you started swimming just a little stronger, yet wasn't getting anywhere.  
  
You had tried to play it off as intentionally losing and just drifting away.  
  
She's pretty cool, she accepted your thanks of gratitude and didn't bring it up in front of the others, immediately picking at Eridan until the two of them began a swim/chase around the reef, Equius (barely contained in his seriously questionable horseshoe swim trunks that made that ..thing stand out more god) seated on a semi-comfortable rock watching the chase contently. _He doesn't sweat as much_ maybe that was an awkward puberty type thing you think after you're told that wonderful piece of information about the guy from one of Eridan's not asked for nor wanted trivia.  
  
John is suddenly pulling you away from the others and talking to you about Karkat, his strangely not quite as crabby as usual behavior, which you shrug, making his complaining that much worse.  
  
Hey you're the one with ideas of just how Eridan became that intimate with Equius' body, which one ends up topping, or how the hell that works. You don't have quite the track of mind to pay much attention to what he's worried about.  
  
"Dude please sympathize. He's so...so angry. Not the usual angry, almost sad angry or something. I don't know. But I think it has something to do with-" Egbert's face drops and reddens from the neck up. "Um the matesprits..Or something..Couple.. On the couch. The couch Dave, it's ruined, cry a tear for it and burn it later. Buckets; they have a true and very important use Dave seriously it's-"  
  
"-Egbert.." You break in, not wanting to hear it.  
  
"Uhm -yeah.. Anyway, he gets strange angry when he sees them, he won't talk about it and I think he could use one of your legendary Strider cure all talks for a situation like this." He then has a nervous tick. "Oh my _God_ Dave! I walked in..They..They don't even do things like that behind doors! Just out in the open, not a care in the world! Either that or that's just how they act together? Maybe it's a hormone thing..Think they have some kind of scent gland that drive each other crazy during mating or -"

  
  
==> Watch his lips move

  
You have been staring at him this hole time, unmoving, then- oh shit he walked right into the middle of a cross dimensional mating dance, he caught a glimpse of the two buckling bulges, locking lips, destroying the couch. You start laughing. When you laugh, John becomes even more embarrassed and tells you to hush, he hasn't told anyone else and it would be so uncool of you to expose what he had witnessed to the others, especially when he hadn't been spotted by the two destroying the couch. Couch and John's innocent mind apparently.

  
  
==> John: This is stupid

  
Yes it is. You agree fully because you are John. Here you are sharing a traumatic experience, being completely honest and open like bros are supposed to be and Dave is laughing at you! It isn't funny! They could have the decency to at least tell someone they want to start pailing on the couch! Maybe you didn't want to know about troll anatomy that much, maybe you wanted to not see that.

  
  
==> Relive memory

  
 _Oh dear heavens why?!  
_  
You are John. You were asleep, made evident by the blue pajamas done in magician style print. The kind with rabbits in hats, cards, wands, and roses. They are perfect for midnight magic tricks, pranking, keeping warm, and investigating strange noises in the middle of the night. Which is currently why you are creeping silently out of the room you were sleeping in.  
  
You tip toe to the lounge where only hours before the whole lot had been throwing popcorn at each other and watching the fast paced action packed-oh shit what was that? "G-Gamzee" It was a hushed, keening sound. You see the tips of horns from behind the corner of the hall. Swallowing, you peek a little further and oh god you wish you hadn't!  
  
With the soft light coming from the kitchen's sink light you can make out Gamzee straddling Tavros' knees, his larger form bent forward as his tongue slid out and drew lines over Tavros' panting chest.  
  
The two barely fit the couch, Tavros' legs were long, he was leaning on his elbows slightly, back against the arm of the couch so his horns didn't get caught up on the furniture. Gamzee chuckled that low rusty chuckle of his and flicked his tongue over where a belly button should of been, making his matesprit shudder and bite his lip trying to keep quiet.  
  
You couldn't believe what you were seeing, but you couldn't look away. You'll call it a general fascination with an alien species' reproduction act. You've always wondered about these pailings..  
  
"Motherfuck Tav.." Gamzee's voice drips with lust, he laps lower and you spot Tavros' bone bulge, it looks more along the lines of a tentacle, smooth and can move slightly (on its own or is it under control?)in what appears to be excitement as Gamzee's tongue presses into the seedflap, carefully palming his shame globes (you've listened to Karkat rambling about such things during pesterchum, but only now understanding it).  
  
Tavros' bulge is thick, not much longer than your own dick that decided to say hello probably because of all those breathy moans and the anticipation that you might get caught peeping on them. It's flushed a peanut buttery color towards the top, leaking out semi-transparent fluid tinted that same color, it almost looks like syrup or melty jam.  
  
Gamzee mouths the tip and is so very careful of those sharp fangs. His left hand steadies Tavros' bucking hip. It's only then that you realize Gamzee's other hand has been absent and you glance along his body. Whoa, that's..Their nook? He's pressing his fingers into himself, a spot below his own wriggling bulge (you can see because at this time Gamzee bends with his rump in the air, swallowing Tavros down his throat in one of the most beautiful and sensual movements you've ever seen) and further than that is what you suppose is his waste chute.  
  
Is there  a real difference between girl and boy trolls? You're sure Vriska would be more than happy to teach you, she's kind of like that..  
  
"Gamzee.. I-ohh.." He gasps and twists as Gamzee's cheeks hollow then release Tavros' tentabulge (you feel clever), gripping and stroking him languidly. Tavros doesn't look like it but he can make some pretty sexual sounds when he's like that. His moans and whimpers pool straight down to your stomach, and you're pretty sure Gamzee approves of them too.  
  
"Mmnn Fuck Tav.." Gamzee and Tavros share a sloppy makeout session, one you can't stop staring at.  
  
The two tongues twist and slide against each other outside of their mouths, Tavros is the one to grab a fist full of Gamzee's hair and bring their lips together. Their tongues continue  to dance, sometimes pressing into each other's cheeks. Their moans are muffled only the slightest.  
  
Oh there's a wonderful pressure against the front of your pants. Your hand seems to have a mind of its own and that's okay with you right now. You hold onto the corner of the wall. Really you shouldn't be so worried about being spotted, the two on the couch obviously have better things to do.  
  
Gamzee reaches up with one hand and holds onto Tavros' horn for support, breaking the kiss with a slight pop, their lips still connected by a small bridge of spit - which you find much too interesting, if unbuttoning the opening in the front of your pj pants and curling your fingers around your achingly hard erection and squeezing means anything.  
  
The two take a mini-break, staring into each other's eyes, Gamzee's hand never releases the horn, the other strokes down from Tavros' cheek all the way to his bulge making him shiver.  
  
You bite the inside of your cheek and swallow a groan as Gamzee lets his body shift and slowly lean back, Tavros' bulge twitching then driving itself eagerly right up into him. Gamzee's mouth hung open, eyes closed and head tilted back, one hand holding Tavro's horn for support and the other coming back up and clawing at his own stomach, smearing fluid from below.  
  
Jade must keep this place hot. You're panting quickly now as Gamzee rides that Tavros for all he's worth, the two grunting and moaning, growling and becoming lost in the sensations. As were you, your hand rapidly pumping your shaft in time to the thrusting and bucking. In your efforts you couldn't hear the straining of the couch at the time, neither could they.  
  
Tavros -after he finally stops staring entranced by Gamzee's form, reaches his hand up and grips Gamzee's twitching bulge and begins pulling at it, drawing louder more needy moans. Their breath becomes ragged, or is that just yours? You hold a hand to your mouth just in case, not wanting them to hear should they pay any mind to anything other than what they were doing. You're so close, your knees are threatening to buckle. You lean a shoulder on the wall and watch through lazy eyes though the sounds should be more than enough to bring you to completion at this point.  
  
"T-Tavros" Gamzee moans his matesprit's name low and long, his body tensing up and shuddering. "Ah, oh! Oh Gam-zgnnn!" You reach completion before either of them and your world is lit up in bright light as your hand fumbles, spastic little jerks until you have completely milked out your orgasm. You push your glasses back up.  
  
Oh GOD!  
  
Bucket fulls! At least two! The couch is covered with peanut butter colored fluid and Tavros' chest is painted in purple, plenty dripping below them onto the furniture, now ruined. Gamzee begins to rumble in his throat and is grinning lazily from ear to ear. He cuddles up close to Tavros, not minding the mess between them, and the other yawns and curls his arm about them.  
  
You finally catch your breath and your face heats again as you realize they aren't the only ones to make a mess. You quickly wipe at the wall with your hand, then again with the corner of your pj top until everything you can see in this light is cleared off.  
  
You hear movement and tense, but it's only the two on the couch.  
  
"Oh no.." Tavros suddenly realizes what they did -as far as the couch goes. "Oh shit, don't worry, I'll clean that motherfucking mess up." Gamzee says and places a long kiss on Tavros' lips again.  
  
You don't think trolls have stain-able furniture, or they don't know how to clean too well (at least not Gamzee or Tavros) because the mess sets in by the time Karkat gets up in the morning and begins throwing a fit over it while trying to keep quiet at the same time. It doesn't look as bad as the night before though. Jade doesn't seem mad at all, nothing gets under her skin that way!

  
  
== > Dave: Snap John out of it.

  
John's been standing there looking rather blank by the time you stop laughing. Great, he really IS traumatized. At least it distracted you.  
  
Alright. How did Bro deal with this when you walked in on him..? That's right. He smacked you with the nearest smuppet and told you to get over it. You're sure you can sugar coat it for the poor guy's sake though, but only because the two of you share such a sacred bromance.  
  
"Okay." You remove your shades that have yet to be removed today and stare at him, trying to keep as straight a face as possible. This was serious business.  You put a hand on his shoulder to bring his attention back and begin your 'feel better' speech.  
  
"Welcome to adulthood John, your Dad will so proud when he hears this. Walking in on a friend or guardian doing the reproductive mambo is part of the trials to becoming a man. Take that memory, ball it up, and shove it deep, as far as you can, into the darkest pit of your soul and try to forget it. It's the only way to survive. That's all there really is to say on the matter."

  
  
==> John: Feel better

  
A dumb speech like that won't make you feel better. Not at-hehehe! Reproductive mambo? Dave looked so serious while telling you all this, and you can't help it, you begin to laugh, your best bro always knows how to fix things. You do admit it wasn't the worst thing you could have walked in and caught two people doing. You're so confident he can find out what's eating Karkat now! Best Bro Ever! Like forever and ever, he's just so cool!  
  
Honestly you aren't really traumatized, well...Not until the very end heavens you'll never be able to eat peanut butter and grape jam again! Not without feeling really dirty about it. Speaking of dirty you carefully and completely left out the fact you not only watched them but wanked it as well, Dave would probably think you were very weird..  
  
As if spying on them in the act wasn't bad enough. You're a sick pervert aren't you?

  
  
==> Be the other guy, John's weird

  
John stares at you like you've grown another head, like he can't believe you said that when he's feeling this hurt. Then he starts to giggle, then he starts to laugh and you put your shades on, glad he's not near as distraught about the whole situation.  
  
Once he's finished laughing himself silly-or sillier-he wipes his eyes and beams at you. Good thing you have your shades on or you'd be blind.  
  
"Take me to the angry one."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been embarrassing, thanks! -shame giddy horrible shame- Stayed up to finish this because I couldn't sleep with it in my head.. 4am...


	3. At Last, Fireworks!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat releases some bottled up feelings and Dave discovers something he -really- likes during the fireworks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ended up longer than intended again, so may end up with like 5 chapters? Hnngh I hope to finish this thing instead of letting it lay somewhere. May be distracted, have a trip to plan for month long vacation x_x so may not be in writing mood. Hope you guys like this chapter

  
  
==> Dave: Access the situation  
  
  
At first nothing seems to be working. But at least John is doing his best to keep everyone else out of your hair while you work on the crabby troll's issues. It takes a couple days, but finally you play a card he can't refuse.  
  
  
"I need your help with the fireworks." You say simply to him, walking off.  
  
  
He stalls only a moment before taking the bait, following after  you like a puppy promised a treat. You stop at several boxes, the fireworks, and a small Ziploc bag of lighters. You lift a box and a lighter clacks on the floor to him.  
  
  
"What the FUCK is that thing?" Karkat snaps out as he eyes the lighter like it was alien to him. Right. It is alien to him. Noted. You wondered if they had anything like this.   
  
  
"It's called a lighter." You stare at him, not bothering to explain. His face grows darker and you shrug.  
  
  
"Mr.FuckingSmartStrider over here." He grumbles through his teeth, but not showing his usual oomph when replying. That won't do, you have to make sure he's back to his normal self or Egbert may dump the prince of hope on you. You hoped not.  
  
  
"Don't you forget it." Nope, his reaction is nothing more than a grunt. "Anyhow it's for the fireworks. Lighters are important, so prepare to learn something."  
  
  
  
==> Teach Karkat something  
  
You flick your thumb and the lighter's flame bursts up, startling the ever angry shit out of Karkat. He curses but his wary stare remains on the small blue and yellow flame coming out of the lighter. You wait for several moments to soak up as much of his attention in it as possible.  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: What's that?  
  
It's fire stupid. You knew it was fire. Lighters obviously produce fire. This strange.. Dual colored- no! It has three colors? Well, kind of.. Faded between. You stare at it for a while. What a strange device, so small, and activated with a simple roll of a puny human digit.  
  
  
  
==> Dave: Interrupt enraptured troll  
  
"If you want to kneel before my greatness I'll allow it this once."   
  
  
"It's not that impressive." He says and crosses his arms, acting all tough and angry. Or trying to.  
  
  
"Say what you will, I won't say a word about your pathetic drooling and awe-"  
  
  
"Quit trying to piss me off!" He's catching on.  
  
  
"Sure thing karkitty." Honestly you aren't trying this time.  
  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
  
You almost smirk,but that would break your poker face. Not even when he snaps his gaping mouth shut and growls at you muttering something between his teeth before letting loose of the tension with his middle finger jutting out inches in front of your shades.  
  
  
"FUCK YOU STRIDER!"  
  
  
"Maybe later babe."   
  
  
You lit his fuse. His mouth is open again, he looks kind of pissed and he balls his hands,  trembling with rage before his fist rears back and  charges your head. You swiftly sidestep the punch  and he _snarls_. He might just flip out.  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: Flip out  
  
Flip out? Oh you'll have the most legendary flip out ever! Historians better have their writing utensils ready and eyes trained on this, because you are going to flip out so badly you're going to-  
  
  
"Woah, look at you motherfuckers." Gamzee's voice breaks your well focused anger. He doesn't look concerned, he's standing there with hands sticking into the waistband of his pants(Why do you notice that?!) "'Bout time you two slowed the motherfuck down, breaking up all the chill in here."  
  
  
You stare at him.  
  
  
You think of his hands, touching under his clothes. Under Tavro's- Ouch. Fuck. Your thinkpan is aching, you can't look at him without feeling that straining tug inside. You haven't slept much, refuse to, your dreams revolve around that fucking clown and _Tavros_. You can't stop the dreaming either, no matter what you tried. He's been ignoring you for Tavros.   
  
  
Oh you can't even lie to yourself! You've been avoiding him because you can't stand to see them together. Why, you don't  actually want Gamzee in a red kind of way, but you can't help feel..Like this. Like it isn't fair. The stuttering gushball.. The sopor headed.. Even the royal fin face! What was wrong with you? Does blood really mean that much? With all the changes, it doesn't seem like you have changed much yourself.  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: Abscond  
  
Damn straight you're going to abscond! You're absconding the fuck out of the damn hive in a flash, away from the grubstalking idiots and nook sniffing morons and- and you are not upset and nothing is wrong!  
  
  
  
==> Dave: Act like Rose, solve problem  
  
Even you can solve the problem here. No need to analyze things like Rose. It's obvious the way Karkat's mood shifted the moment he knew Gamzee was here and scamper lassed it out of here without bothering to curse even once.  
  
  
Gamzee's standing there looking confused, and it's not the sopor this time. He's watching the door like he expects Karkat to come back, if nothing more than to verbally assault him after getting a breath of fresh air. He almost looks hurt.  
  
  
"Was it something I said?" He says blankly, not really asking but saying it anyhow. You're not about to try and explain what you think is going on.  
  
  
"Don't worry about it." You say smoothly and shrug. "I'll fetch crabby." You say as you turn towards the door. Gamzee starts to follow but you stop, he does in turn. "I think.." You begin. "You should stay here."  
  
  
God how many people's emotional sand castles are you going to step on before the week is over? Gamzee did not take well to the suggestion and while not angry he looks more distraught than before.  
  
  
"If I need you I'll come running, screaming for you in your shining armor and everything okay? I'll find Karkat," You don't call him a name this time, just to show how serious you are, "bring him back, and convince him to mull over whatever's chewing at him with you." At least that worked, and Gamzee nods, plopping his body down right where he was standing.  
  
  
"I'll wait for you here bro." He cackles. But he is gone by the time the two of you would come back, probably rushed into getting ready for the big night by Jade.  
  
  
\----  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: Slow down  
  
Fuck. You have no idea what came over you. Gamzee's probably still standing there, Strider will make some stupid snap at you, and you now have to come up with some explanation for running out of there like a competitor in the scamper lass event at the absconding Olympics.  
  
  
"Fuck." This time you verbalize it, because you have no idea where you are. You were too busy not mentally tearing yourself a new one while holding moisture forming in your eyes and this mix of emotions you were feeling. It was frustrating, dizzying, and bordering frightening.  
  
  
What's wrong?! You are comparable to a wriggler right now, time to grow up, tough it out.  
  
  
  
==> Dave: Become lost  
  
Yeah right, you've been drug through these woods by the energetic duo so many times you knew this place forward, backward, and every other direction between. The only problem is you can't seem to pick out which way Karkat went. You assumed he'd have been tearing down the trees in the process of running through them or something.   
  
  
It wasn't a problem for long, one thing you could count on Karkat doing was cursing, which he was, loudly, a ways off to the north. You sander smoothly through the brush and low hanging branches.  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: Look out!  
  
"Fuck fuck fuck!" During your stomping and self loathing you failed to notice the way the hill steeped until your sneaker slipped on a wet patch of grass and you lost all balance, cursing as you slid down.  
  
  
It wasn't a dangerous drop, but shit did it startle you. the back of your clothes were covered in mud, and your hair was sure to have bits of the surrounding plant life in it but you didn't care. Slumping back down to lay on the ground you sigh, watching the night sky through the trees that Jade had so many of.  
  
  
"There you are." Your ears prickle, not that one.. Growling you sit up and snap your head at him, he's at the top of the slope you fell down with hands in his pockets. Smug bastard. "Have fun?" Strider...Your claws dig into the ground and in a moment you're up.  
  
  
"THAT'S IT!" You ball up your fists and stare at him, this time not charging blindly and Strider seems to have caught on to what you were wanting now. All you could see is rage under those other pent up frustrations, tinges of hate, and you just -just had to hit someone! You're ready to grief this fuckass!  
  
  
  
==> Dave: Strife  
  
If Karkat wants to swap punches you could do that. You slide down the slope (without even having to pull your hands out of your pockets) taking out your right and waving him over, challenging him to make the first move now that the battle has been accepted.  
  
  
It works.  
  
  
Karkat's pupils become huge like a cat about to pounce on it's dinner and you suppose the growl he made would be enough to send shivers down your spine and lock you up with fear had it not been for your fantastic parenting.  
  
  
You know, the kind that taught you not to flinch at danger, take it head on, and beat it.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
  
"Get a movve on! I'm starvvin." The voice is distant but you recognize it.  
  
  
"Yes, of course."   
  
  
You spot Eridan first, seated on Equius' muscular shoulders and holding onto his good horn for support, waving his free hand as he continued a conversation with John and Vriska. John looks happy as could be, not minding the constant bubbling banter coming from the seadweller as long as Vriska keeps holding his hand. Even Equius seems content. Then again why wouldn't he? The guy loved this being bossed around shit.  
  
  
However the entire group went silent, a few seconds later Eridan's mouth finally stopped moving, as they spotted the two of you. Karkat is bruised up, you're certainly a mess but looking less beat up than your troll friend. He had minded the claws and teeth for the most  part, only cutting you after a cheap shot or other shocked reaction rather than try and strip you of your flesh. He looks more peaceful, letting out slow breaths while fixing his hair.  
  
  
John is staring at the two of you disapprovingly. _That isn't what I meant by cheer him up! How is beating the snot out of him cheering him up?!_ You could almost hear Egbert nagging at you. Hey, it was what Karkat wanted, and obviously needed. Some physical relief of some angry kind. There may have been an angry snog session in that but it worked out fine in the end.  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: Rewind to Angry Snog Session  
  
You are Karkat and you're about to have a very angry and fulfilling snog session. At least that's what your squishy human counterpart will call it.  
  
  
It happened sometime after the eighteenth and twenty-fifth left hook Strider hit you with, the one that had your leg lose energy and your arm wrap around his neck for support, your head hitting his jaw and splitting his lip open.  
  
  
Stupid human, you hadn't meant to do that, why did that last hit have to be so hard? But you were breathing so fast, felt so thrilled and alive and perfect and everything you've been bottling up had been letting itself out and you started to cry actual-honest-to-gog cry tears of relief and leaned on this human that was slightly taller than you still fucking taller than you after all this time and he just..Stood there..Holding onto you, letting you cry into his shirt getting it red with your blood and tears and _gog_ he understands. He fucking understands what its like, feeling alone, having to protect yourself all this time. Just because everything was 'better' now didn't mean you forgot what it was like to fear everything that would happen to you because of what you were. You suspected he had to put up with the same harbored feelings, having to brace himself and protect himself from everything, even though nothing threatened either of them.  
  
  
He knows the pain, but is strong. It's like every time he strikes you back with the same firmness but without hatred in the punches he's telling you that it hurts, it sucks, but you have to keep going.  
  
  
Or maybe you're dizzy from the hits. But wow you feel great. Strider is looking down at you(at least you think, those fucking shades are in the way) and you don't care anymore what everyone else thinks as you push up on the tips of your shoes and crush your mouth against his, lips hot and blood musky and metallic and every day you keep finding new reasons to call past you an idiot because humans _fuck_ they are fantastic!  
  
  
You grip his shirt and pull him down to your level, fabric tearing in your claws as you do so. He smirks the insufferable prick but you don't care the moment he catches your hips in his hands and bends against you and your hands grip his hair and his nails dig into your skin and his tongue slips into your mouth and _ohhhh_  
  
  
"Jesusfuck pause the angry snog session-" Strider pulls back and you feel like your breath is gone. His tongue is sufficiently bleeding and both of your bodies look a mess. But there is a noise in the distance and you have to refrain from doing anything. "Play it cool."   
  
  
  
==> Back in the present, as Karkat  
  
Dave is acting so calm and collected about it, thankfully taking over conversation while you turn away and try to ignore Vriska's all to knowing and smug as shit smirk resting on the back of your head. Dammit she's doing the mind reading shit or something you just know it. No she wouldn't do that would she? You peek back and she's _still_ smirking at you oh fuck she would maybe possibly oh gog.   
  
  
You jump back as Dave says your name again and take a breath you had been holding. He arches a brow and grins. "I said...Are you ready to head back in?" You nod dumbly, too fixated on the way his blood smudged lips move to really answer.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
You've been trying to relax, while not so focused on Gamzee and Tavros you can't help but feel someone keeps staring at you and you have attempted horribly to stay in a public area at all times, but soon find yourself alone in the lounge waiting for the sky to get dark enough for the promised fireworks.  
  
  
"He--ey Karkat." Her voice sends chills, clattering words together like dice already gambling away your very life. She scares the fuck out of you when she wants to. You take a breath and growl at her, she knows better really, you don't like being freaked out.  
  
  
"Sorry sorry," She plops down beside you, you've been sitting in what Strider called a 'bean bag chair' though you have no idea why humans name everything they own like that. "So I've noticed you've been opening up to the coolkid." She continues, jabbing you in the side with a ridiculously long claw.  
  
  
"Fuck you, I have not." You grumble, but it's weak at best. Shame on you, can't even properly hide your strange feelings. "No, you have. Its  okay really." But she's grinning. "I think he kinda likes the idea. If you try _just righ_ t you might be able to get him to like you too. Humans are strange things though, so ou have to be careful." You were going to snap at her a thousand angry curses but speak of the fucking bulgepain Strider had come swagging his way back into the (wait _swagging_? ) room and Vriska had already begun to run up to him, excitement in her voice about the fireworks. She'd been bothering John about it the whole time. But then she said something to him that made the tips of his ears turn red and she grinned, turning and waving on her way out.  
  
  
You watched her until Dave said it was time to go outside, pokerface restored.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
==> Dave: Begin the show  
  
Soon the trolls and the other humans that decided to do this in the first place  were seated out comfortably on the grass in a little clearing. The fireworks had been set up and Jade was so pleased with herself in the manner of setting off each one with quick transports here and there though you offered to be the designated fuse lighter with the flash step and all.  
  
  
This gave you a chance to snag a seat beside Karkat before he was made to sit with someone else. Vriska suggested you watch him. _Think he's beautiful fighting and worn out? Wait until you see him enthrawled._ Well, it was worth a front row seat. He only glanced at you but didn't move away, that was a good sign.  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: He's sitting beside you  
  
Plenty of space everywhere else and he chooses to sit beside you. Fuck. You still haven't been able to piece together your feelings from fighting him, feeling his soft but muscled skin under your fists, his hard jabs into your own body. Oh gog. But before you dwell too long Jade lets out an enthusiastic howl to the silvery moon in the sky and begins to light things.  
  
  
  
==> Dave: Watch fireworks  
  
You would be watching fireworks if it wasn't so interesting watching Karkat fight his own feelings. He looks uncomfortable next to you but shy at the same time. Almost like Tavros behaves minus the much more polite speech. Then the crackling in he sky starts and he turns his head to the sky, his mouth hanging open and ears pricked up.  
  
  
Then you catch it. It isn't a smile, but it isn't rage, anger, bitterness, any of the other negative expressions he can pull off either. You venture to say he suddenly looks anime or something of the likes(your brother would, but you wouldn't so you don't). He's staring up at those fireworks with such awe and wonder that it's nothing resembling the Karkat you know.  
  
  
How cute. Karkat Vantas was completely speechless.  
  
  
Wait, no you didn't think it was cute.   
  
  
That's things people like Egbert say. No, he was something though. But what to call that.   
  
  
It wasn't awesome, cool, badass, none of that.   
  
  
_Hell no._  
  
  
He looked like an awestruck child, the light from the fireworks reflecting in his eyes. While the other trolls gasped and made pleased sounds with each explosion Karkat's mouth is hanging slightly open. His eyes are wide and his head tilted up to the sky, ears twitching to the crackles and booms. His brows are raised high and his clawed fingers are spread out in the grass behind him holding him up.  
  
  
He's..Fuck it. He was cute.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
==> Dave: Tell him he's cute  
  
You did, like five times, and each time he turned a darker shade of red and cursed you out quietly as he could while trying to wriggle away your hands from his trembling sides. You have him pinned just inside the room you shared with John (Rose and Kanaya snagged a room their own and Jade shared a room with Terezi and Nepeta on two other notes) against the wall, kissing his jaw and pushing your thigh against his crotch as he ruts almost animalistically against it with his claws wound in your hair and his sharp teeth chewing at his lip.  
  
  
The fireworks continued outside, the crackling pops and booms dulled through the walls. You could clearly hear Karkat's breathy moans and the growls he attempted that distorted the whimpers that drove you nuts.  
  
  
  
==> Dave: How'd this happen?  
  
Oh yeah, sometime after Karkat noticed you were staring. You said something clever, just pure gold you're sure, and he looked so upset with himself for even looking and at you and the way he kept biting his lips and..You leaned up to kiss those lips. The noise he made was  fantastically erotic. He had quickly looked around like he was worried someone would hear and you brushed your fingernails against his temple, around behind his ear, and he shuddered, face relaxing swiftly with the touch.  
  
  
You had to have him.  
  
  
"Follow me." You had breathed and the two of you snuck off back into the house. He almost didn't want to go. "There's a ton of fireworks, plenty for the next few nights, I'll make it up to you."  
  
  
  
==> Dave: Make it up to the troll.  
  
That's what you had been doing! That strife earlier today had both of you bothered pretty tightly, he's pressed up against the wall and his pants, breathing quickly and looking at you like you'll leave if he looks away even for a moment.  
  
  
When you bite his neck he groans and pushes up on his heels, your hips and his slide together briefly. Reality sets in. You're acting like a horny teenager and so is this troll. Are the two of you that desperate? No..Maybe not desperate. But there's something about him that you just need and it doesn't hurt he's giving in so sweetly.  
  
  
"Hey, you cool with continuing?" You ask slowly between the dragging of your tongue across his bitten neck. Red is your favorite color, it looks so great on him. He chortles, or something, best you can describe it is some high pitched clicks and whistle, he nods, eyes hazy as you unbutton his pants and pull his zipper down and _ohshitwhatthehell_  
  
  
You almost leap out  of your skin, heart racing a mile a fucking second as a dark red tendril slips out from his pants and wrapped around your hand before you had time to really examine this troll. Karkat takes his turn to be smug, laughing at you and asking if you wanted to back out, _I understand if you want to back out, doubt your soft inferior body could handle anything I had anyhow._ You grin, you weren't going to back out and he knew it, but you let him have the minor point. You'll show him what you can do later.  
  
  
Unzipping your fly you pull yourself out (Little Dave is raring to go), Karkat looks down at you and his previous comments  are  gone. "It's..Hard?" He asks at last and you almost laugh. The two of you make a perfect pair. You're squishy everywhere and hard where it matters, he's hard everywhere and squishy/wiggly where it matters. Then you get an idea.  
  
  
"Yeah..Just..Let me try something." You say and lean forward to kiss him, softly, slowly, he relaxes and shivers  against you, hands coming to press on your shoulders again. Your hips roll into his, slowly, until you slide against that writhing tendril.  
  
 _  
Fuck yes_  
  
  
It curls around your shaft and as you push up against Karkat it slips and slides against you in all the perfect ways.  
  
  
  
==> Karkat: Troll Human Slashfest  
  
You can't stop the way your damn bulge opened up and let your most vulnerable parts meet with this human's, nor the way it twisted and curled around him, but it felt so good. He was hard and warm and you could smell the human's body chemistry change. It grew musky and hot, spicy, if Terezi were near she'd be licking all over him.  
  
  
That didn't sound that bad.  
  
  
Leaning forward you hesitate only once before licking the curve of the human's neck, above the collar of his shirt. He grunts and bucks against you harder in response, your back arches off the wall and _yes yes_ you don't care if you are chirping out your appreciation as his hand reaches down and wraps around the both of you, pumping up and down quickly his other gripping your hair possessively as his teeth pinch at the skin of your neck.  
  
  
Nothing broke your thoughts except for the delicious and hazy feeling you felt, eager and close on the edge, bordering painful until all at once it crashed down around you wonderful and messy in your orgasm, pants soaking with red genetic material from your nook and the thicker of the substances coating your tendril and the fleshy body part it was eagerly tangling around. You watched lazily as your tendril tightened and rippled around the human's bulge and milked it, his genetic material thick and white shooting out around the hem of your shirt.  
  
  
The two of you fought for breath there on the floor, before it was obvious just how much of a mess everything was and how difficult it was going to be to clean if you didn't hurry before the others returned inside. Your legs felt loose and you barely registered his smooth comments afterwards, until his hand drifted around your stomach as the job was finished as it was ever going to be, it looked more like a soda stain now at least. Jade was used to cleaning up after parties, Dave had informed, and stated a clean house meant a lousy party.  
  
  
"Karkat, let's get you cleaned up. Bet you'd look dead sexy in some of my clothes." Strider's voice rumbled in his chest and down to your toes. This was going to be a long night.

 

 


	4. Learning to be Comfortable with Pricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty innocent, it's just stretching much longer than expected. Plan to finish before I move so yeah. Working on other junk too so distracted, need to be deadlined lol Pretty much cute and mush here. Sorry. lmao not really I love it.

==> Karkat: Observe Human Strider

  
 _Fucking yes_. Everything inside has relaxed, you can think about Gamzee, about Tavros, about both of them and while it still makes you feel a slight tinge of something you are actually alright with it.

  
Your pants are really _really_ uncomfortable and soaked however, and you aren't alright with that. While annoyed you hadn't managed to last long enough to get your pants off if you actually did remove them it would have been so much worse on Jade's flooring.. That Strider also insisted on you wearing something of his. He was as persistent as Kanaya with roughly a half of her fashion sense. But right now you couldn't care less. You felt fuzzy inside, for lack of better wording.

  
You've already seen enough of Dave to not be feeling this anxious.. It wasn't like you were nervous or anything! _Fuck no_! It was just...He was so different, so human. So squishy and pale yet you felt strange excited sparks.

  
Strider was revealing all of himself to you. You could fully explore him without the use of your husktop, you could come out of here feeling less of a perverted troll. Hold on.. Why does he keep staring? He must be analyzing, picking out flaws, you haven't even taken off your shirt yet. What is he staring at? Now you begin fidgeting, that's just making him stare more. You pull your shirt down trying to make it longer. It doesn't work. He just licked his lip. _What the hell, stop it Strider!_ You look away and try to ignore him.  
  


  
==> Dave: Start the shower

  
A hot, steaming, hands-on shower is just what the two of you needed. Karkat actually needed it _and_ a change of clothes as well you remember, watching him peel off and plop his pants into the sink and start running water over them.  
  
He had a nice rump and there was something very erotic about the red tint on the inside of his thighs. You take a moment to admire a single drop that slides down his skin to the floor by his foot. You didn't notice before how perfect his feet were, his knees, that little roundness to his stomach peeking out from under his shirt.  
  
The longer you watched him the more shifty he became. To make matters worse(for him) you tip your shades down lower on the bridge of your nose giving him that look and lick your lip acting as if you didn't know he was on to your gaze.  
  
You were admiring the guy and he was acting like you were a peeping tom. At least you couldn't open a file and watch your past whenever it tickles his fancy.  
  
Slipping off your shades completely and setting them on the top of the toilet before turning the shower's knobs and letting it heat up while you left the bathroom, tossing your shirt off in the process. Retrieving a beat to hell suitcase you packed because everyone thought it would be ironic to travel like _normal guys_ (at least until the meet-up with Jade) you drag it into the bathroom and kneel down, unzipping and tossing out pants, shirts, things you didn't think would look good on him, searching for something in particular that should be at the bottom.  
  
  
==> Karkat: Relax he's done staring  
Finally. Shirtless he may be he's not staring at least. Wow, he is very pale and vulnerable looking. His skin looks so soft, sprinkled with slightly darker splotches, humans are such strange, exotic, fantastic creatures. Ahem..  
  
Strider moved from one part of the room to the other, throwing things from his bag, one item that landed near your feet happening to be a very bright red stuffed. . . thing it looks so familiar.. "What the hell is this?" It squeaks when you pick it up and squeeze it and has a ridiculously long nose, patch of fuzz between its round ears and an eerie smile, something Vriska could pull off.  
  
"Oh my GOD, Bro, dude fuck how!" Strider loses what poor vocabulary he did have and his hands fly up to his head and he tugs at his hair, staring at the offending object and without his shades you can see frustration with perhaps a bit of fear in his eyes. You can't help it, as a troll of science you squeak it again and he flinches. _Fucking flinches_. Oh yes, it's starting to come back, remembering staring at your husktop and watching anything revolving around these horrible things. Before you enjoy your new favorite toy too much Dave grabs and launches it outside of the room, shutting the door, which you take as cue to strip your shirt and jump under the hot water. He turns slowly. "Not cool."  
  
  
==> Dave: Regain composure  
That bastard, that sneaky bastard. You haven't been living with Bro for two solid years, how he managed that one is beyond you. Maybe he's stalking you, followed you to the airport, then flash-slipped that damn thing in there knowing you would eventually have to dig far enough to find it.  
  
However Bro managed that  it was not important. There's a smug and dirty troll standing there using your lack of focus to get into the shower before you. The glass door is already fogged up. All you can see is a short smear of grey and black. If it weren't for those two round nubs he'd look human. Grey but human.  
  
"That wasn't very nice, I should be offended after the touching moment we shared earlier." He rolls his eyes at you and shuffles to one corner of the shower, staring at the wall. He looks even better wet. You let your eyes linger over every inch of him even though he keeps crossing his arms and rubbing his knees together. As cute as it was, you didn't want him to think you were a lecher and he should have to feel the need to be bashful. Hopefully he didn't regret it.  
  
"You alright?" You ask at last, he nods quickly. Rolling your eyes you put a hand on his shoulder. Water has already made your eyes invisible to him, maybe you'll take up Jade's offer on a trim. "No really, Karkat, you alright? If you're upset or something about what we did or-"  
  
Karkat is the least likely to surprise you, but he did. He twists around and traps your face in his hands, staring at you for what feels like forever the way time sluggishly passed. Long enough for you to see his lips part, droplets of water falling between them and his lids lower as he looked down at where you assume your own mouth was. Both ears twitched and you swear his cheeks flushed as he pushed up on his toes.  
  
The kiss was uneven, sharp, but that didn't stop you from wrapping your arms around him and bending forward to meet it. After some of the worry about balance was taken away from the troll his kiss truly blossomed, mostly lip, tongue, and only the occasional scrape of teeth. Not like the angry snog before.  
  
You press a hand behind you for balance and break away, needing a well deserved breath after managing to keep both of you from toppling over the tub.  
  
"I'm alright. So shut up already." He muttered, barely audible over the downpour of shower water with the smallest most genuine grin.  
  
  
==> Karkat: Clean up  
You try to, but maybe kissing Strider to shut him up was a bad idea. He gets this long smirk, and you worry turning your back on him would be a fatal move. "Stay back, I'm not in the mood for your fucking antics." You snap, and he puts this fake pout on and crosses his arms, leaning his back on the wall.  
  
"Thought you were starved for attention." He licks his lip. "Unless a kiss like that came from practice?" Oh that smug..Arrogant..Ungrateful..Something like that didn't come easily and you had thought he'd have the decency to at least not make a jab at you so quickly over it  and ..and..  
  
Your anger dwindles away as he chuckles  at you and pulls your back against his chest, arms wound under your arms. "You'll get used to me." He said simply and you felt warm inside, fuzzy again. Sighing you resigned to leaning against his chest some, the water felt nice and he easily held you up despite the jab about you smashing him into the wall which you replied by pressing even more firmly against him.  
  
He lathered a bar in his hands and gently scrubbed his fingertips into your skin, leaving little bubbles behind. The motions made you relax, staring at his fingers with mild interest. He scrubbed your hair, shoulders, then down your back. "Stand up straight." You do as you are told, the water washing the bubbles in streaks down your legs, turning a light pink as the mixed soap and fluids circled the drain. Dave's fingers slide around your ankles and slowly up behind your legs, you bite your lip as you feel his cheek rest on your behind. His palms rub behind the knee, which is ticklish as fuck back there and you're trying very hard to stay still, you're pretty sure you've cut your lip by now. "You've got a comfortably soft ass. Type for taking a nap on even."  
  
Then he does something just..Well he bites your ass. Yeah, that's it. Dave turns his head, you look back and he gives you this twisted grin, then bites your ass! You squirm, slip, and Dave turns out to be a fairly good knight afterall and catches you. He's acting nonchalant about the whole thing, but you're the ones brought to tears laughing so hard you can't breathe. The guy just bit your ass, humans are clearly insane, but you decided that was okay as Dave's lips met yours again in a lazy kiss.  
  
Then came the sound of doors slamming and loud chatter. Well the walls were thin too. Night one of fireworks must be over. Dave pulls away after a quick kiss to your cheek and stands, offering a hand. You take it and pull yourself up too.  
  
"We'll continue this later." He winks, and hurriedly washes himself and steps out, toweling off. Slipping on his shades before anything else he looks to you. Wow okay nude and shades on actually isn't his best look. He looked too serious for being completely naked. You felt like you'd start laughing again. "Here's something that should fit you."   
  
  
==> Jade: Headcount  
It seems just about everyone was accounted for. Well, Nepeta, Feferi, and Tavros had gone outside to catch fireflies. Gamzee had tried several times and now sat smiling and holding a jar with a single living firefly inside and his hands smeared a faintly glowing yellow. Outside but still accounted for!  
  
Everyone had decided to pull up sleeping bags in the living room due to insomnia caused by the over stimulation of trolls becoming excited about the colorful skies. It took a while to subdue Terezi, she was very excited about everything! Dave had been gone and you were short one troll. Maybe Karkat had flipped out over the fireworks and Dave went to keep an eye on him. You hoped they were alright. If they weren't though, Rose would have said something by now.  
  
John, Rose, and Kanaya had been doing most of the work spreading out tents and bags all over the living room in front of the fireplace (it's too hot to have it burning tonight anyhow) while you have been preparing BBLTEs(BestBaconLettusTomatoEver) and citrus sodas for everyone's snacking pleasure. You decided they didn't need caffeine or sweets this late, hopefully everyone will be satisfied with this.  
  
Dave walks by and grabs a tray of sandwiches, spinning on his heel and smooching you on the cheek before walking to the living room. "Awesome BBLTEs" That Dave's so cool. You pour the last of the drinks and count them again before Dave returns to grab the tray of drinks, allowing you to carry the extra soda bottles and napkins.  
  
  
==> Dave: Check on your troll  
He's fine, Karkat is currently getting a jar full of sad little fireflies shoved  in his fave. He looks bewildered and then disgusted when Gamzee shows his hands and explains how not to catch them. He's wearing one of your oversized shirts, it falls to his knees but you know he's wearing a pair of your boxers under there, your poker chip ones. The shirt's been through a lot, a few places Bro patched for you because you stubbornly refused to throw it away. Just a stupid shirt with a huge pink heart, muted cream body.  
  
Jade's voice called everyone into the living room, where you'd be sleeping elbow to elbow with trolls, humans, horns, limbs, oh joy. Everyone clad in their pajamas began to circle around the coffee table where the sandwiches, drinks, and glow sticks were. Jade began by turning the lights off and breaking one of the green ones.  
  
You try and think of a way to get Karkat in nice and close later tonight without having to sneak to another room. "Anyone have ghost stories?" You set the plan in motion. Jade grinned. "What would a sleepover be without them?" Her face lit up by the glow stick's shine.  
  
Jade found this massive ghost story book and began reading. By the end everyone had demolished the sandwiches and had their listening ears tuned into Jade. "Anyone else want to tell one?" Rose's eyes could've sparkled. She casually offered to tell a tale. Aradia _thankfully_ told hers well after everyone had finished chewing down pretzels John found. You mentally vow never to visit their planet. _Ever_  
  
Especially since  the other trolls were only encouraged by her telling of violent gory "grub stories" and began telling ones they remembered. Poor John looked ..Or was that an inspired instead of terrified look?   
  
In a few hours the rush of fireworks, fireflies, and spooky stories drained the energy of all in the room. It was so bedtime.  
  
The glow sticks are shoved under everyone's bedding and everyone adjusted to where they want their bag before getting in and drawing up their sides to sleep.  
  
You take one peek over at John. Good, he's got himself cuddled up to that spider psycho. He shouldn't be able to plan any pranks tonight at least. You stretch once and curl into your own sleeping bag, catching a quick nap.  
  
  
==> Karkat: Peaceful dreams  
It's been too long. One by one your friends have fallen asleep yet you've been unable to do the same. You keep thinking about the flesh eating drones and voodoo corpses and wolfman and-ugh! This is stupid. These are made up stories to scare young, of all species it seemed, into obeying their lusus.  
  
In fact most of the stories made no sense now. Less to fear.  
  
You almost manage to grump yourself into sleep when a noise in the corner has you pulling head down into your sleeping bag, chewing lightly on your red glow stick(there wasn't a color choice it just happened like this and trading off would've seemed suspicious or something) telling yourself it was just a stupid noise in this stupid hive because it's so fucking huge that nothing that fucking huge could settle completely.. It sounds like something is getting closer. Oh shit it is! No wait, calm down, you're freaking over those stupid tales.  
  
Taking a long breath you cautiously poke your head out. First thing you see is a set of razor claws coming at you and you suck in a breath, ready to fight as you jerk up into a seated position. Then you let your breath out and rub your face.  
  
Terezi was kicking in her sleep, and missed the repeated instructions on how to sleep in a 'sleeping bag', opting for her head in / feet out position. She had ..."sleep-shuffled"? her way closer to you in that time. Well, you're already up. May as well move before she ends up slicing up your face if she starts that kicking again.  
  
Stepping over sleepers and cuddlers (you'd feel sorry for Equius if he wasn't so strong he could handle being half-strangled by the seasnot) you make it to the soda and take a long drink while checking your options through the red glow.   
  
Okay you knew the guy you'd end up with. He was the only guy fairly secluded, in the corner of the room, he planned the whole damn thing afterall.  
  
You approached him and he started some snarky  remark about you taking long enough. You shooshed him and told him the plain and simple rules if this was going to work. "I don't want you trying to suit my culture's needs, and I won't be trying to fit yours. I want to enjoy whatever it is you offer and hope you do the same. I won't lie to you, and you better damn well not lie to me. I want to be intimate, comfortable, and welcomed by you. I don't want to restrain myself. If this is too much to ask tell me now and I'll turn around and deal with Terezi's deadly claws."  
  
You swallow, you stare at him. His quick smile had faded and he stared at you for a long moment. Then he reached a hand up, wrapped his fingers behind your neck, and pulled you quickly to him. He smiled, and the two of you shared in a close encounter kiss. "Don't doubt I'll do my best to keep you happy Karkles, you're too cute to disappoint." Interspecies relationships were probably the best idea ever.  
  
You fall asleep pressed into his small but warm chest, listening to his pumper's beat rather than your imagination's monsters.


	5. Crackling Shells and Poprocks and Sappy Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final day is upon them. Dave and Karkat will have to say goodbye, but maybe they can make it a night to remember.

==> Dave: Life = miracles. Explain  
Right now Dave's mouth is too busy chowing down on some delicious troll tongue. One moment...  
  
Both of you had decided not to verbally announce your newfound caring feels towards each other just yet. It would be too hard to explain. Especially since it took the two of you having a sit-down  to figure out exactly what kind of relationship you two were getting into. Basic ground rules and wants and whatnot. Right up Rose's alley really. It came dangerously close to charts to explain it all.  
  
A relationship designed around Dave and Karkat, the universe is screwed.  
  
John asks if you wanted some poprocks one night during the final fireworks show. Then he demands you just _had_ to try them when you claimed never to have had them before. You were aware of them just..meh.. It took much prodding(not really) but you finally tried it, around the time Terezi squealing how it was "just like the fireworks show but with more sweet build up around your teeth hehehe" and after that you thought it was a good idea to introduce Karkat to poprocks; with your aid.  
  
You returned to your blanket in the grass beside your favorite troll and ripped open a package of strawberry poprocks, ignoring his question and poured the contents into your mouth, pulling your arm around Karkat's tense shoulders and bringing him into a deep tongue plunging kiss before he had time to complain.  
  
His eyes opened wide for a moment or two as the crackling of the candy melded with the colors and sounds fireworks crackling high above and your skilled tongue swirling around his to make sure the troll experienced the whole thing just right.  
  
He whimpered, you pressed against him. Claws tangled in your hair and pulled you closer, his hips rose. His tongue drug over yours and candy continued to crackle.  
  
  
== > Karkat: Experience Crackling  
The sparks in your mouth, your bulge, and your thinkpan, everything feeling like waves in the ocean twirling you around and around keeping you on that edge of sensationally strange but pleasant just enough to want to venture this discovery further.  
  
It was even better knowing you agreed to this quadrant mushing human relationship.  
  
You have found your favorite flavor. It was a berry of human design and a mix you labeled as Strider, Dave to be precise. He was fantastic, complex and confusing, charming and an idiot at once. It wasn't right that he one hooked his way into you so perfectly.  
  
But it felt too good to think about how not right this was. Wrong/right... Whatever.  
  
Why not indulge? Nobody expected anything of you other than to just fucking be there now. Things weren't like before. Dave didn't want anything more than to explore your mouth and make you squirm for the moment. This was something he was rapidly becoming better at. He could draw your breath from you and leave you feeling suffocated until his kiss would break just enough for you to gasp a breath filled with the scent of firework smoke and candy. Then he'd take it all away again and leave you feeling drained and weak.  
  
  
==> Dave: Claim Troll  
Karkat Vantas has long since been yours, no denying it. You stare at him through your shades, he's barely visible until his features are caught by a flash of color in the air. The kiss slows but lingers. You don't particularly want it to end. In fact you really don't want it to.  
  
Tomorrow you will say goodbye to this troll, and you don't want to stop kissing him. You don't want to stand up from where the grass has made your jeans green and damp. You don't want your fingers to leave the fabric of his shirt or the curls of his hair. You _really_ don't want to say that horrible word. You'll miss everything. His short-nubby horns you tease him about, the way he pushes his toes together and looks down just pouty lip short of sulking when he's upset. Anyone else that could make him flush and twist his nails in the sleeves of his shirt when he was being told he was cute and he was trying everything possible to deny it? What if you don't get to see him again, never hear him again? What if something happens?  
  
He gives you this strange expression as the sickeningly sweet sugar of the poprocks settle against your tongues and you finally pull back for a breath and allow Karkat to do the same. You had been silent and still too long, wondering about those horrible _what ifs_ that loved to ruin perfectly fine shows of intimacy.  
  
You lick across his lip slowly, flicking off the top one and sighing. "You will be leaving soon." The leftover sugary-goo is swallowed down. It didn't ease the way you felt after saying that.  
  
Karkat visibly shrinks. "I know.." For a moment he fidgets and without looking you can tell he's pressing his toes together through his shoes. His fingers splay behind him and he leans back, his shoulders are tense and he is avoiding eye contact. He relaxes some as you twirl your finger in a strand of his hair. You couldn't think of a single thing to say to him so you answer with a dumb " _yeah_.." and lean back as well. Both of you stare into the sky, avoiding the subject.  
  
The two of you fall into a deep silence before you speak again; somewhere between the green  and crackling shell exploding in the sky. "Don't get mushy Karkles. Not like we don't have ways of communicating and obviously seeing each other. So dry up those big eyes of yours." You say at last and tuck some of his hair back, feeling particularly mushy as you do it. To make up for it you firmly press your lips to his. He responds quickly and involves himself fully on focusing his attention on your tongue, your lips, the gums around your teeth. This claws graze your sleeves  as well as your skin drawing stinging pain, droplets of blood to the surface, and this alive and wonderful feeling as your eyes lock his.  
  
 _Kerpap! Kshh!_  
  
Another set of shells go off in the sky and Karkat breaks away. In a moment he's in your lap, his fingers ghosting up your neck. His lips come close to yours and your hands rest on his hips, thumbs circling against the small of his back in anticipation of the kiss. But it doesn't come. Instead he tears into the second package of poprocks candies with a slight smirk, pouring the contents on his tongue and winding his hand behind your throat thrusting his tongue into your mouth with a rumbling growl and press his hips down.  
  
If you could put together one word to describe the feeling you have now it would blow half the minds of civilization by uttering it alone.  
  
Your  mouth is filled with the taste of strawberry and melon and sugar and fizzy and heat and spit and vibration and Karkat and _god_ you can't get enough! No matter how much of him you tangle up and pull towards yourself you can't get enough. Your fingers against his back, his skin so hot. You roll up the hem of his shirt slowly.  
  
He pushes away and frowns at you.  
  
  
== > Karkat, Why'd you stop?  
Dave's lip twitches slightly and he turns his head. You guess he's looking around-confirmed by his "Nobody's looking. Something the matter? Bad breath?" and the way his hand reaches up through your hair to circle around the base of your horn...  
  
But you have somethi- _oh right there_. Your head tilts up towards his hand involuntarily as his nails scratch just right around the skin at the base of your horn. It sends waves of endorphins through you and it takes you biting your lip hard to keep from rumbling out that damn chirp he's heard only once before nights ago.  
  
You swat his hand away and glare at him. "Fuck, hold on.." Bending up and getting off of him you brush off your knees and hold out a hand to him as you stand.  
  
It takes the moron another moment to catch on you aren't wanting to go further _here_ with everyone in perfect view but still wanted to actually..You know..Go further. He takes your hand and stands, some bullshit about gentleman chivalry coming out of his frustrating mouth.  
  
Well, there's an idea.  
  
  
== > Hey Dave, what's goin on?  
Karkat's mouth is broken. It suddenly took a turn for the worst, breaking out in a jagged grin and those eyes.. His pupils dilated after they drifted down and his grip on your hand tightened. He then took off for the woods with you stumbling off after him. This should not be a good sign.  
  
As soon as the sound of fireworks overpower any of the squeals or other cheers from the group he shoved your back into the nearest thick tree, his body pinning yours(because you let him) to the rough bark.  
  
If you didn't know better you'd think Karkat really misses you already.  
  
He pushes down on your shoulders after a moment because he's tired of being on his tiptoes. So you bend and grin; earning a sharp jab in the shoulder and a " _fuck you_ ". He bites your lip, but gently,  and nestles his face in your hair. He inhales, and hums out an approving sound.  
  
"Are we going to do it or not?" You aren't really that impatient but this is getting _weird_. He's acting really touchy. The hair sniffing's messing up the style. Plus its fun to taunt him. He huffs "Shut up." You grin, flicking your tongue on the tip of his nose. He scrunches said nose and rubs it with the back of his hand, but it backs off enough for you to drop to your knees and unlatch the button on his pants.  
  
This time you are completely prepared when Karkat's literal trouser snake ventures out to say hello.  
  
Karkat sucks in a breath as he looks down to you his face flushed. What a beautiful picture. You slip your shades down to wink at him and drag your tongue over his bulge. It's obviously eager, diving right in without any caution at all. It's a little more than you expected as you suppress a gag. You hear Karkat giggle/snort above you. "Can't handle it?" He grins when you shoot him a look from the top of your shades.  
  
It's so on.  
  
  
== > Be Karkat (wow author is getting creative with command titles)  
This was much safer than the time Terezi attempted this, you couldn't enjoy it as much as you wanted to at the time; thinking too much about her jagged teeth and feral grin.  
  
Blugh, forget that evil grin right now before you forget Strider's busy at work.  
  
Gog he looks so good down there, cheeks bulging slightly as you rub against the inside of them. He's hot and wet and though his tongue is nowhere near as flexible or long as your own you don't deny it feels pretty damn wonderful. When his cheeks hollow and that suction pulls your entire body shudders despite your will to control it and you have to bite pretty hard on your lip to keep from moaning or fucking chirping again.  
  
Dave however doesn't approve of your self control and lack off noise, instead making one of his own moaning out around your bulge and pressing his lips against your skin once he relaxes his throat. Encased in wet, warm, tightness your toes curl inside of your shoes and you whimper, shoulders slumped and head pressing to the tree and you know you'll get pieces of it in your hair later and your horn manages to scrape a few pieces of bark off.  
  
A second time Dave moans, this time tilting his head as he does it and _swallowing_ afterwards, you can feel the quick but controlled intake of breath through his nose whenever your bulge moves just right to allow his puny windpipe to open. " _Fuck D-Dave_." To make matters worse he lifts his hands and teases along your nook making your horns scrape the tree again as you chortle and lift up on your toes, grabbing fistfuls of his hair in the process and holding onto him for your life; your sanity. Oh gog-his tongue-  
  
  
== > Karkat's too busy, switch over to Dave  
Head trapped between the trunk of the tree and hands squeezing his thighs you moan around the tendril twisting and curling in your mouth. Karkat lets out this surprised, pleased, and on-edge sound(close to the mix grasshopper/bird chirp he let slip a while back) and his hands scratch your scalp as he fists your hair, providing little cushion against the back of your head as his bulge thrusts in twice twice before his hips jerk back pulling out of your mouth completely and coating your chin to torso in the same red tinted semi-transparent goo as before.  
  
Karkat shudders and rests his head on one arm braced against the tree, the other curling and uncurling in your hair as if he's kneading like a damn cat. It feels good though so you allow this for a few moments before things start setting into fabric and chilling. You give him an impatient _ahem_ which has his eyes on you again.  
  
"Oh fuck." He looks down at you and his tendril responds with a pulse. It was practically impossible at this point; Coming back shirtless or covered, you were bound to be a dead ringer for post interspecies copulation. Shit probably stained skin or something stupid and not one of those trolls _wouldn't_ smell it on you. Pretty sure your friends weren't morons either.  
  
Screw it.  
  
Or him, whatever. You grab his shirt and tug him down roughly, devouring his mouth the moment he's within reach. It's a tangle of limbs as the two of you fight to remove your clothing. Pants half down your knees, his shirt caught on one arm, using each other for balance as your mouths linked together teeth bruising and cutting lips but neither of you could care less at the moment until the two of you fall backwards onto the ground.  
  
Your bare back comes in contact with wet grass and with Karkat struggling to sit back up you're not going anywhere. Your shirts are somewhere off to the left, his pants around one ankle which he kicks off before casting his gaze down at you, yellow and red eyes gleaming in the dim light of the crescent moon. He pants softly, face dark where he was flushed, a little frown on his face though you know it's not in anger, it looks more confused like he wasn't sure what he should do with you now. You reach up and stroke his cheek before leaning up on your elbows kissing him again. He's a little overeager but at least it distracted him from his momentary mental block. His tongue is more rough than yours yet is entirely more flexible. It twists around and against yours, his mouth opening wider to prevent his teeth from shredding your lips and it's messy and wonderful. When you break away your lips are coated in his saliva that takes a slow swipe of your tongue to taste it all.  
  
"Damn Vantas, way to take a guy's breath away." In a flash you whip your shades off your face, folding the sides and putting them on the grass a little ways away. Reaching to him you smirk, running your fingers through his hair, over his horn, then behind his neck as you yank him forward. "Pail me you _naughty_ troll." It wasn't your best but it still has the effect you want as Karkat practically whimpers and swallows, nearly tearing your jeans as he remove them for you.  
  
You don't have the luxury of admiring the way the distant colors in the sky reflect off of his skin long, his mouth clasps over your neck all rough lips and curling tongue, faint pricks of his teeth that make you shudder. His hands feel so much hotter now with the cool night around your body and moist grass beneath you. Karkat shifts until his chest touches yours and as your knees knock into his hips you spread your legs to give him room shuddering when his mouth pulls away from your neck with a sloppy wet pop. You wait for him to start rutting, prodding, anything, but oddly he just nuzzles your cheek with his and covers you with himself there in the grass, palms smoothing down your sides.  
  
Then you feel it.  
  
His bulge, it slips along one asscheek to the other and between them and is it ever _hot_. Yeah, hot like sexy as hell, but also really hot. Not enough to burn of course that'd be ridiculous but enough to have the tension in muscles from anticipation melting against his ministrations. You let out a contented sigh and pull your arms around his shoulders, returning a nuzzle. There was no better way to be pampered, you decided.  
  
For a moment you considered telling Karkat to slow down a second and let you show him that you need a little consideration here, crash course in prepping, because the prodding had become stronger and you _know_ how thick that thin gets. Before you have a chance it presses in a fraction close to stinging but goes no further.  
  
Karkat's hips twitch slightly and his hands curl in your hair but other than that he doesn't move much, his bulge lazily dipping in, not forcing its way through or using much pressure at all really. That was a relief, knowing he wasn't in any hurry. As your body relaxes to the intrusion he slips deeper and you stifle a groan at the feeling.  
  
It's strange and the way it moves is not at all like any of even the weirdest toys you've ever experimented with. The movement is fluid and smooth, hot and _alive_ , making you shudder and bite back moans and grunts as he fills you.  
  
Karkat's bulge twists around until it hits that place that has you holding your breath and squeezing your eyes shut because it's so damn good and you don't know if you should be silent for fear of freaking him out or let your voice ring and hope he takes it as approval. Even as he speaks it feels as if you're in a dream, everything around you slowing down (which it very well could be actually, gotta keep that in check).  
  
"Where's all that noise you were making earlier Dave?" Your name comes out in a honeyed purr and it's all the green light you need to let lose. And you do.  
  
You practically wail as his tendril slips against that spot again, hard on your prostate and writhing around it, not too focused on doing anything other than torturing you, driving you insane. Karkat may have chuckled but you can't be sure with the constant whoosh of blood and your own racing heartbeat deafening you.  
  
  
==> Dave has a beautiful singing voice  
At least that's what you're thinking as you listen to his moaning and quick breaths, the whimpers and the grunts as you assault him with pleasures the rest of his kind would be oblivious to. Not going to lie, it's a pretty good ego booster watching him squirm like this under you.  
  
Dave puts his hands into the grass and tears at the ground, he's hard against your belly and rocks into the friction on his heels. His forehead is dotted with sweat, his hair mussed and remnants of red still cling to his skin though most had been smudged off during the warfare with the garments. His mouth hangs open and his throat is exposed as he moans. For all his moving he's doing more to distract than help you and you let him know by letting your weight pin him down.  
  
"Sweet Jesus fuck Karkat what the hell?" His voice is enthralling - full of gasps and whines as he discovers he can no longer rut against you as pretty as he pleases.  
  
Patting the spot between his eyes and forehead you shoosh him and he gives you this stupid look but you're more interested in the way his eyes glitter and his throat trembles when you get back to business, gliding again over that area.  
  
Then he reaches up and grips your shoulders with a hiss, shutting one eye tightly. "T-too much." He mutters quickly and you withdraw partway from inside of him, worried that you hurt him. Wouldn't that be something; hurting your human friend thing whatever he called it right before you leave. Dave laughs and kisses your nose, you cross your eyes to look at his lips. " Don't start that. I mean the putting yourself down shit again. It's just.." He clicks his tongue and pulls his arms around your shoulders again. "That area's easy to over stimulate. Like.." He tries to think of something to compare it to but you'd rather compensate for the discomfort he felt earlier.  
  
Remembering the last time he did this, you reach down and wrap your fingers around his hard fleshy appendage, claws kept at a safe distance. You squeeze and he mutes, mouth open and eyes staring into yours. As you stroke he shivers and begins to tense against you. Lazily, you begin to slip back in and he keens, pressing his mouth on your neck.  
  
"Karkat I'm not gonna last I can't-" He groans and you smirk, it takes a flick of your tongue across the shell of his ear and he gasps. As you stroke he becomes harder for a moment, pulses, and you slow as his sticky strange genetic material flows free you feel him become abruptly tighter which you weren't at all prepared for and withdraw a little late.  
  
  
==> All hope of this being a secret is so lost this time Dave  
Yeah, seriously. But who gives two fucks? Not you.  
  
You pull Karkat down next to you and have an urge to just cuddle the hell out of this troll and when you've experienced and orgasm like that you do whatever you feel like. He complains a little and you roll your eyes, papping his head like he did to you and shooshed him. "I'm cuddling.." You announce to him and press your head into his chest. "Dave, fuck, seriously-" He squirms and you pull your arms firmer around him. " _Dave_ " He's trying to keep his voice down, you're pretty sure you were vocal enough for the world to hear.  
  
Yeah, that's a fact.  
  
Seeing blue eyes flash into fingers as John covers his eyes and stutters over apologies while he tries to turn and go back the way he came one hand extended out in front of him to try and find a tree or something, someone must've heard and either John volunteered to inspect or planned to pull a prank, but whatever it was he and Karkat had matched levels of red on their faces, John's darker on his ears.  
  
Karkat's already dressed when you glanced back over to him and you stretch naked on the grass a moment before grabbing your boxers and pulling them on. You didn't like that pair much anyhow. "Need another Strider talk bro?"  
  
\---  
  
==> Good Morning Dave  
Not too much good about it. It's the morning everyone's up and splitting. Sure, you can arrange meets, but really _where_? Jade's place is the only safe haven for sneaking trolls into your world and it wouldn't feel right to ask Jade to lend you and your alien boyfriend a place to stay and be mushy.  
  
Aradia already ruined visiting their little utopia of carnage. Even the children stories were B-rated.  
  
The morning begins with a huge breakfast of waffles and fruit and bacon and ham and you probably shouldn't have ate so much really because your stomach's upset now. Or that's feelings. May be those feelings popping up again. John seems to have gotten over (or repressed) last night and nobody's acting particularly strange around either of you either accepting it or sweeping it under the rug.  
  
Karkat's wearing your shirt, yeah _that_ one. "I'm taking this with me." He crosses his arms and turns his nose in the air some. "You'll get it back when I see you again." He adds and you grin, sounds like a good idea to you. You glance over to see Kanaya and Rose necking, turn away to block that out because damn if you're gonna let Rose catch you watching and start her damn winking and teasing again.  
  
== > Time for goodbyes  
Then everyone gathers in the room Jade keeps the machinery and one by one the trolls begin their goodbyes. Vriska claps her hand over John's shoulder, smiles a toothy grin, and pinches his cheek; she's gone. Eridan, Equius, Nepeta, and Feferi follow suit with their goodbyes and in turn leave. Aradia tells you once more that the boogie troll really isn't as frightening as in the stories, it's made to be a lot bigger than it really is before leaving. Sollux leaves before Gamzee but is chewing him out all the while - _You did WHAT to your huthktop? And you expect me to fix it. Yeah, great, that would be a miracle you can't put a machine like that through that much abuthe and expect it to_ -  he's gone before he can finish, Gamzee behind, releasing Tavros' hand right before he steps onto the platform.  
  
Tavros is about to leave when he stops to thank Jade one more time for the use of her home and to apologize for the furniture. The only remaining trolls are Tavros, Kanaya, Terezi, and of course Karkat.  
  
"No crying or anything like that okay? I know it's hard to leave a Strider behind but don't worry, I'll seize you up again in the near future." You tease and he frowns, turns a little dark in the cheeks, and shuffles a foot. Then he looks up at you and there's such determination in his eyes as he throws his arms around your waist and you meet him halfway in one more soul shaking kiss.  
  
==> Shaken, not stirred  
When the kiss ends Karkat is staring into you, you hear Terezi begin to giggle but pay her no mind. "You better or I'll come down here and tear your pathetic little planet apart until I find you." He pulls away and you feel empty as his fingers leave yours and he disappears in a crackle of light.  
  
"I didn't think he was going to do it." Terezi had giggled.  
  
\---  
  
==> John, cheer up Dave  
Everyone feels a little strange when they've parted. The trolls separate and return to their hives and eventually you guys will too. It's always weird staying with someone like that for a while, especially if they live far away. But that's why you guys have these gatherings!  
  
" _Dave_!" You hug him from behind, chin on his head and half bent over his already sulking form on his bed. "Okay okay what is it John?" He laughs some, which is a good sign. "He said to give you this." And you hand him a paper bag. For as much as you would have loved it to be, this wasn't one of your pranks. Dave is completely delighted by the black sweater in the bag with the cancer symbol, even enough to not _completely_ flip when the smuppet tucked away inside it falls out into his lap with a mocking squeak.  
  
He knocks the thing into the wall and brings the sweater up to his nose. "Dude, you've lost it." You announce and he just laughs at you. "Yeah, I know."  
  
~End~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blugh, I started this around 2am and finally finished, editing and all x__x Final chapter, sorry for the delay, hope you enjoyed the story!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you put up with that well, thank you! More chapters in progress soon as I can work the bugs out of them. I'm aware that some spaces are larger than others, my spacebar sticks at times and I miss some gaps while going back through, just ignore them.


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